Department of Health and Social Care

Obesity: Malnutrition

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the criteria that distinguish obese citizens in England who are described as malnourished from other obese citizens who are not so described.

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what data describes the differing causes of obesity (1) with and without malnutrition, and (2) in people of high and low economic placement.

Lord Markham: Obesity is a complex problem caused by numerous factors, to which there is no single solution. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that body mass index (BMI) is used to assess obesity in adults and children. Additionally, it recommends the use of other validated obesity measures, such as waist circumference, to be undertaken alongside BMI for adults when assessing overweightness and obesity in individuals to give a more detailed assessment of an individual’s health risk. Malnutrition as a broad term refers to deficiency, excess or imbalances of a person’s intake of calories, protein and other nutrients which causes measurable adverse effects on body composition, function or clinical outcome. The full definition of malnutrition therefore includes overnutrition which can lead to obesity, however, in the United Kingdom, the term is more commonly used to refer to a clinical condition involving undernutrition. NICE advises that nutrition support should be considered in people who are malnourished, as defined by any of the following: a BMI of less than 18.5 kilograms/m2; unintentional weight loss greater than 10% within the last three to six months; or a BMI of less than 20 kilograms/m2 and unintentional weight loss greater than 5% within the last three to six months. Someone can therefore be a healthy weight or have a BMI in the overweight or obese categories but be identified through the NICE definition as potentially requiring nutrition support. The term ‘malnutrition’ is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to a poor diet; although this may put someone at increased risk of malnutrition, this would not necessarily meet the criteria for malnutrition. Data is not collected on causes of obesity. Data from the Health Survey for England, 2021 and National Child Measurement Programme show obesity prevalence was lowest for those living in the least deprived areas and highest in the most deprived areas.

Prisoners: Females

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners in the female prison estate have been assessed as lacking capacity in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in each of the last five years.

Lord Markham: The information requested is not held centrally.

Cancer: Health Services

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase access to (1) diagnosis centres, and (2) radiotherapy cancer treatments, for patients in England.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the availability of funding for establishing (1) community diagnostic centres, and (2) cancer treatment hubs, in England.

Lord Markham: £2.3 billion was awarded at the Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next three years. Most of this will help increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services.NHS England has set a target for systems to increase cancer treatment capacity by 13%. Specific funding has been allocated, including £1.5 billion through the Targeted Investment Fund to support our wider elective recovery plan.NHS England is responsible for setting evidence-based national service standards for radiotherapy, and for ensuring that these are implemented within local systems. Since 2016, around £162 million of central investment has been made to replace or upgrade around 100 radiotherapy machines. 11 Radiotherapy Networks were established across England in 2019/20 to drive improvements through greater workforce resilience and increased access to specialist skills and knowledge, ensuring all patients can access the very best treatment regardless of where they live.

Mental Health Services

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask His Majesty's Government what plansthey have to use more trained therapists to ease the backlog of NHS patients with mental health problems.

Lord Markham: Through the NHS Long Term Plan we are committed to transforming and expanding mental health services in England by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people can get the mental health support that they need. This commitment is backed by our plans through the NHS Long Term Plan to grow the mental health workforce by an additional 27,000 professionals, including more trained therapists to provide more people with National Health Service talking therapies, by 2023/24.

Exhaust Emissions: Health Hazards

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government whatevidence they have that fumes from motor vehicles cause (1) stunted lung growth in children, and (2) premature death.

Lord Markham: Exposure to traffic related air pollution is associated with both effects on lung growth and mortality, with a number of organisations contributing to evidence. For example, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants highlighted in their statement from March 2015, Statement on the evidence for differential health effects of particulate matter according to source or components, that adverse health effects, including changes in lung function, are associated with exposure to traffic-derived pollutants. A copy of this statement is attached.Additionally, The Royal College of Physicians’ and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health reported evidence in February 2016 in Every Breath We Take: The Lifelong Impact Of Air Pollution that lung function growth in children is suppressed by long-term exposure to air pollution. A copy of this report is also attached.The UK Health Security Agency has estimated that exposure to air pollution in the United Kingdom has an annual burden equivalent to 29,000 to 43,000 deaths.COMEAP Health effects of particulate matter (pdf, 124.3KB)RCPCH Every Breath We Take report (pdf, 4142.5KB)

Department for Education

Schools: Offensive Weapons

Baroness Wilcox of Newport: To ask His Majesty's Government how many dangerous weapons have been confiscatedinEnglish schools in each region, in each year for the past five years.

Baroness Wilcox of Newport: To ask His Majesty's Government how many sexual assaults and rapes have been recorded in English schools in each region, in each year for the past five years.

Baroness Barran: The department does not hold data on weapons confiscated in schools in England, or on sexual assaults and rapes reported in schools in England. However, data is collected and published on suspensions and permanent exclusions of pupils from school and their reasons, including the reasons ‘use or threat of use of an offensive weapon or prohibited item’, and ‘sexual misconduct’. The information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england/2020-21.

Adoption: Cost of Living

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Adoption UKCost of living crisis: impact on adoptive families and adopted people. Summary of survey data December 2022, published on 26 January, which found that 41 per cent ofprospective adopters surveyed were considering adopting fewer children than previously as a result of the increased cost of living; and what assessment they have made on the potential impact this would have on the length of time children with a plan for adoption wait to be placed.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by Adoption UKCost of living crisis: Impact on adoptive families and adopted people. Summary of survey data December 2022, published on 26 January, what steps they will take to support adult adoptees in response to the findings in that report that (1) 41 per cent of adopted people said the increased cost of living was having "a significant negative impact on their mental health", and (2) 89 per cent reported that increased costs for transport and accommodation making it harder to maintain relationships with birth relatives.

Baroness Barran: The government understands that many people, including adopters and adopted adults, are worried about the impact of rising prices. For this reason, the government is providing £37 billion of support this year, targeted at those who are most in need. The package will see millions of the most vulnerable households receive at least £1,200 of support in total this year to help with the cost of living, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400 to help with their bills.The department aims to ensure that children waiting to be found new adoptive families are placed with as little wait as possible. Tackling long waits for children who require new adoptive families is a key priority in the 2021 Adoption Strategy ‘Achieving excellence everywhere’. The department is funding Regional Adoption Agency (RRA) leaders to improve the recruitment of adopters, matching children with approved adopters and adoption support over the next three years. In the past year, RAAs have focused on those children who wait the longest and have seen a fall in the number of children with a court placement order waiting for 18 months, from 390 at March 2020 to 240 at September 2022.Where necessary, the statutory framework covering adoption allows RRAs and local authorities to provide financial support to adoptive parents to support the placement of a child or the continuation of adoption arrangements.Adult adoptees should be able to access the support that they need, particularly around their mental health needs. The department is publicly consulting on amendments to regulations to simplify arrangements for providers who support adopted adults that will increase the accessibility of support services. One of the proposed changes in the consultation is to remove the requirement that therapists be registered with Ofsted when providing counselling services to adopted adults. This change is recommended in Adoption UK’s ‘Cost of living crisis: impact on adoptive families and adopted people’ report.The government is also improving NHS mental health support availability. The NHS Long Term Plan and mental health expansion plans will increase funding for mental health services, to target groups with severe mental illness and young people.

Treasury

Energy: Taxation

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Act 2022, whether they willpublish a list showing the total amount (1) collected, and (2) paid, by each company.

Baroness Penn: The government does not comment on individual taxpayers. At the time of the Autumn Statement, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated that total revenues from the Energy Profits Levy were expected to be £41.6bn over the following five years. HMRC routinely publishes outturn oil and gas receipts on GOV.UK.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding Northern Ireland (1) received in 2022/23, and (2) and will receive in 2023/24, through the (a) block grant, or (b) other government funding, which arises fromcircumstances specific to Northern Ireland and is ringfenced, rather than non hypothecated funding as a result of the Barnett formula.

Baroness Penn: The Northern Ireland Executive’s Total Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 2022-23 and 2023-24 was published as part of the Autumn Statement 2022 DEL tables, found on pages 24 and 25 of the attached. Final funding figures for 2022-23 will be published in due course as part of the Supplementary Estimates. The Block Grant Transparency publication will set out a full breakdown of funding for the Northern Ireland Executive in due course.AS DEL tables (pdf, 873.4KB)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Malaysia: Foreign Relations

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) the Prime Minister of Malaysia, and (2) other Malaysian ministers; and what topics were discussed.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Prime Minister congratulated PM Anwar on his recent appointment and our High Commission to Kuala Lumpur continuously engage with the new Malaysian government. The High Commissioner has spoken to the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and on 2 February 2023, Minister of State for Trade Policy the Rt Hon Greg Hands was the first UK Minister to meet with members of the new government. Rt Hon Greg Hands also met the Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz and Malaysian Minister of Economy YB Rafizi Ramli to discuss trade and economic opportunities, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Nagorno Karabakh: Humanitarian Aid

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 31 January (HL4816), what consideration they have given to increasing the £350,000 given in aid to the Start Fund for Nagorno-Karabakh due to the ongoing blockade of (1) food, and (2) medicine, caused by the closure of the Lachin corridor.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Officials continue to discuss the developing situation in the region with humanitarian partners. In 2020, the UK Government was the first to respond to the outbreak of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and allocate £1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross and, should further requests come in in relation to the Lachin Corridor, we will consider accordingly. At this time we have received no additional requests for funds from humanitarian organisations.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Chess

Baroness Brown of Cambridge: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they provide for the development of chess to (1) schools, (2) communities, and (3) the English Chess Federation, given (a) thesocial and cognitive benefits that game brings, and (b) its increased popularity since the COVID-19 lockdown.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government recognises the well-established social and cognitive benefits of playing chess, and is pleased to see its increased popularity. While the Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not provide any direct support to the English Chess Federation specifically, we are supportive of all programmes which could extend these benefits to more people, including the work of the English Chess Federation and other chess charities which have successfully promoted the game of chess across the country.The charity Chess in Schools & Communities, for example, provides chess equipment, software and lessons to state primary schools in England and Wales. Its aim is to promote the educational and social benefits of playing chess and to organise chess events which encourage mass participation. As well as partnering with over 900 schools across the UK, it has also worked successfully with local authorities to empower whole communities through chess, and has established a growing network of chess clubs in libraries.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Artificial Intelligence: Safety

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider predictive text engines such as ChatGPT and Google's LaMDA BARD to be within the scope of the Online Safety Bill, as currently drafted; and if not, what other measures they will introduce to hold companies responsible for the operation of such software should it be likely to be accessed by children or by vulnerable UK citizens.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Online Safety Bill has been designed to be technology-neutral to future-proof it and to ensure that the legislation keeps pace with emerging technologies. It will apply to companies which enable users to share content online or to interact with each other, as well as search services. Content generated by artificial intelligence ‘bots’ is in scope of the Bill, where it interacts with user-generated content, such as on Twitter. Search services using AI-powered features will also be in scope of the search duties outlined in the Bill.

Department for Business and Trade

UK Trade with EU

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of goods imported into the UK being repackaged and sold into the EU as goods of UK origin.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement includes Article 43: Insufficient Production under Chapter 2: Rules of Origin. This article ensures that simple packaging operations shall not alone confer UK origin to non-originating goods imported to the UK and then sold into the EU. This rule, alongside other rules with respect to the packaging of goods can be found in the treaty text: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukeu-and-eaec-trade-and-cooperation-agreement-ts-no82021.

Department for International Trade

Trade Promotion: Public Appointments

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what countries of strategic trade interest to the UK do not have a Prime Minister's trade envoy appointed to them; and what are the reasons in each case.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys are appointed to a wide spectrum of countries where they are able to make a significant contribution to the government’s trade and investment objectives and the ultimate decision is the Prime Minister’s. The government tailors our business and investor support in different countries depending on market conditions and opportunities. We are regularly reviewing countries and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit.

Trade Promotion

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the (1) roles, and (2) expectations, of the Prime Minister's trade envoys.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys are appointed to a wide spectrum of countries where they are able to make a significant contribution to the Government’s trade and investment objectives. They champion Global Britain and promote the UK as a destination of choice for inward investment across all regions of the UK, helping to level up the country by supplementing the UK’s existing trade relations in their respective markets, working with our regional Trade Commissioners and global network to promote British business across the globe.

Overseas Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in planning forthe proposed trade and investment conference due to be held in Northern Ireland in 2023.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government how businesses and organisations in Northern Ireland can get involved with the proposed Northern Ireland trade and investment conference.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government who will receive the £2 million announced in the Autumn Statement for a trade and investment conference in Northern Ireland; and what organisation will be responsible for organising and hosting the conference.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: In Autumn Statement 2022, the Chancellor announced a fund of up to £2 million for the then Department for International Trade, now the Department for Business and Trade, to: “work with local partners including Invest Northern Ireland to host a trade and investment event in Northern Ireland in 2023.”The Department is working closely with partners at pace to define the event and will deliver the event in collaboration with Invest Northern Ireland. We will shortly engage a range of businesses and organisations across Northern Ireland.